Another notable buried in Providence grave yard is Samuel Compston Justice of the Peace. Alderman, Mayor and Freeman of the Borough.
Samuel Compston was born on the 4th of July 1842 at Radcliffe Lancashire, he shared the same name as his father who was a Minister in Settle, Yorkshire. Samuel Jnr started his school days at Boro West School in Bradford from 1850 to 1855 then onto Settle Grammar School for two years. On the 8th of August 1866 Samuel married Mary Ann Bullock at the Congregational Church Settle, the Ceremony conducted by Samuels father who was the pastor there at the time. Mary Ann’s father an expert stone cutter had carved the archway entrance to Giggleswick Grammar School that Samuel had passed through many a time on his schooling there. Early in their marriage they lived in Woolwich and then onto Reading where Dr Ruddock, Samuel’s employer had taken a practice there and commuted into London to 2 Finsbury Circus where he was medical and pharmaceutical assistant to Dr Ruddock a well known Homeopathic Physician.
In 1870 the couple moved back to Radcliffe Samuels birthplace. Here Samuel had a Practice which extended as far as Rawtenstall and indeed Loveclough and he looked after the sale of homeopathic books, medicines, health foods and cocoa, etc. Travellers would try to persuade Samuel to add to his stock such things as cigars tobacco and medicated wines with which to make a fast buck but Samuel would not stock things he could not honestly recommend people to buy, even though he was not Technically qualified well heeled people asked for Samuels guidance about their own health. By August 14th 1926 Samuel and Mary Ann celebrated 60 years of Married life.
Samuel and Mary had four children but lost their first Mary to Scarlet Fever. Edmund Leach Compston became the eldest, then Emily, known as Cissie and Lizzie the youngest. Edmund followed his fathers interest in becoming a Doctor and practised in the Crawshawbooth area. Edmund was a trustee at the Rakefoot Methodist Church in Crawshawbooth where he also played the organ for the Church living close by at Lilac House, Later of Springhill Cloughfold with his wife Elizabeth and 2 girls. He had 44 years service with the St Johns Ambulance as Divisional Surgeon and during the Great War Edmund was at New Hall Hey Military Hospital Rawtenstall, he died at Bare Morecambe in 1945. Emily or Cissie married William Edward Walker in 1902 and went on to have two daughters, William was an Electrician at the loveclough print works and Cissie also nursed at New Hall Hey Military Hospital caring for wounded soldiers. Sadly she passed away aged 46 on the 5th of September 1918 buried Rawtenstall. Lizzie married John Charles Smith a Mechanical Engineer also at the Printworks He was born in Birch vale Derbyshire, Lizzie died 13th may 1912 and is interred at Providence Chapel graveyard with her parents
Samuel held quite a few titles and rolls during his long lifetime, for instance he was chairman of the Health Committee for 15 years and even longer as chair to the Education Committee and Library, Parks and Museums Committees only giving these up in his latter years. Alderman 3 times 1896, 1913 and 1924. His third term ended in 1930 and having fought an election that he won with a majority of 319 votes Samuel returned to the Council as a councillor once more lasting until November 1st 1932 and on his death bed he found he had been elected to the Council for the thirteenth time. 1906 finds him elected as Mayor of Rawtenstall, Mary being Mayoress and they served for one term. Also for 26 years he had been a member of the Bury and District Joint Water Board and then in 1913 he was to become a Justice of the Peace.
The one accolade that Crowned all previous activities was when in 1919 he was made Freeman of the Borough and had been awarded only five times since the town had received its charter.
As well as playing the Bass fiddle and teaching the Harmonium he published 14 musical articles in the Freepress (see West gallery music association.) Samuel was responsible in 1902/03 for the refurbishment and relocation of an ancient cross known now as Compton’s Cross thought to be a Memorial Cross rather than a wayside marker for the route to Whalley Abbey for pilgrims, it lies close to the old Wool route on the moors above Clowbridge Reservoir.
Compston’s Cross